Since the film's release in July, I have tried to watch it in cinemas, which was impossible since it was only in Japan. Today, I finally did after avoiding every possible media around this film, except just one poster, yet still, I couldn't find a cinema with subtitles. Thus, I barely had a grip on the narrative and characters; however, the art, especially the world of Miyazaki's imagination, never ceases to transcend languages.
The opening sequence immediately captures Miyazaki's animation…
These characters are written so well, convincing me to revisit this series with an unforgettable, moving conclusion.
Deeply personal, Haolun Shu portrays the Lilong culture of 80s Shanghai as an enduring tight-knit community, with each resident being three stories high and privacy rarely present. China's developing economy meant a slow, communal life for the Shanghainese, a lifestyle now disappearing with the Lilongs. Exploring his old home with former residents, many now gone, Shu shows glimpses of these cherished times in the limited space and resources of Dazhongli. The space of these terraced houses strictly followed needs, with…
